4G

Why Apple won’t give the iPhone or iPad an LTE radio. Yet.

Oliver Haslam ∙ February 15, 2012

Right, I'm going to come right out and say this before I go any further: I'm going to get a lot of stick for this, and the rest of the iDB team thinks that I've lost my mind, but I'm going to write this anyway. I don't think the iPad or iPhone is going to get an LTE radio. At least, not yet.

Now I know this flies in the face of what we are being told by just about everyone, including a very recent article by the Wall Street Journal. The general consensus is that Apple will indeed bring an iPad 3 to market during the coming weeks, and that said iPad 3 will be the first Apple device to come packed with an LTE radio for hooking up to super-fast 4G networks.

I, however, think you're all wrong. Here's why...

The WSJ says LTE iPad 3 is a go for Verizon and AT&T

Cody Lee ∙ February 13, 2012

One of the most controversial rumors regarding the upcoming iPad 3 has been whether or not the tablet will feature 4G technology. While countries like the US and Canada have growing LTE networks, others won't see the tech for at least a year.

Tonight, the Wall Street Journal seemingly puts an end to the speculation. The world-renown newspaper is reporting that it has confirmed that both Verizon and AT&T flavored iPad 3s will include the next-generation wireless technology...

Could AT&T’s new LTE micro SIM cards be for upcoming iPad/iPhone?

Cody Lee ∙ February 10, 2012

Among the rumors we've heard regarding Apple's next-generation tablet, LTE compatibility has come up a number of times. And last month, Bloomberg seemed pretty confident when it reported that the iPad 3 would feature the 4G technology.

Now a new report from PhoneArena adds some weight to the argument, as the site has just learned that AT&T is about to receive a whole new batch of LTE-capable micro SIM cards. Could these be for next-generation iPads and iPhones?

HTC Says Sacrificing Size and Battery Life for LTE Was a Big Mistake

Cody Lee ∙ Updated July 10, 2017

Apple has received a lot of criticism for leaving LTE out of its two latest iOS devices. After all, Android manufacturers have been implementing the 4G technology in handsets and tablets for over a year now.

But as Tim Cook noted last Summer, LTE chipsets have been too big and too battery-intensive thus far for Apple to justify using them in its devices. And it looks like HTC had to find that out the hard way...

Verizon’s LTE Requirement Still a Ways Off

Cody Lee ∙ January 13, 2012

Yesterday, we passed on a report from CNET that claimed that Verizon would soon be enforcing a "hard requirement" that all future smartphones be LTE-compatible. The news made some sense considering the carrier has been leading the LTE movement.

But today, the Mac Observer is reporting that they've heard a different story. While Verizon might eventually start requiring manufacturers to incorporate LTE chips into their products, it doesn't look like it'll be happening anytime soon...

Rumor: Bloomberg Says Next iPad Will be LTE-Capable

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 3, 2018

We've heard an assortment of rumors over the last month or so regarding Apple's upcoming tablet release. A majority of them seem to agree that a new iPad will debut sometime between late February and early March of this year.

As far as features go, however, the gossip has been all over the place. 7" screen, 10" screen, Siri, quad-core processor — we've heard it all. And now Bloomberg has entered the mix, claiming that Apple's next tablet will be LTE-capable...

Rumor: iPhone 5 Will Be Thinner With 3G/LTE Compatibility Across All Networks

Alex Heath ∙ January 13, 2012

The latest in analyst predictions comes from Morgan Stanley's Katy Huberty. According to Huberty, the next-generation iPhone will be slimmer and sport a quad-core Qualcomm chip with 3G and LTE compatibility across all networks.

We've heard plenty of rumors regarding the mythical iPhone 5, and this particular analyst claims that Apple will have its upcoming handset ready for customers in the third quarter of this year.

Verizon to Require LTE-Compatibility in All Future Smartphones

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 9, 2018

If there's one thing Apple's mobile products have taken a lot of criticism for recently, it's their lack of LTE support. The company released a new tablet and handset last year — neither of which contained the popular 4G technology.

While nearly every Android partner has implemented LTE into their products, Apple has continued to ignore the tech in favor of battery life and reliability. But they may not have a choice in the matter in future Verizon-bound products...

FCC Approves AT&T’s 4G Spectrum Purchase

Cody Lee ∙ December 23, 2011

Both AT&T and the FCC continue to make headlines today, as reports are surfacing that the Federal Communications Commission has just approved the carrier's purchase of 700MHz wireless spectrum from Qualcomm.

You may recall that the FCC recently announced its disapproval of AT&T's T-Mobile buyout, eventually forcing the carrier to pull out of the deal. But it seems like the two organizations are on the same page this time around...

Sprint Kills Unlimited Data Plan, Will Not Affect iPhone

Alex Heath ∙ October 23, 2011

As our very own Sebastien correctly predicted, Sprint has announced that it is discontinuing its unlimited data plan. The only catch is that smartphones, including the iPhone, will still be able to take advantage of an all-you-can-eat data plan on Sprint's network.

Sprint will begin imposing data caps on each customer's next bill cycle, but iPhone users won't be affected by the policy change. This move indicates that Sprint doesn't plan on keeping its unlimited plan around in any form for very long.

AT&T Believes the iPhone 4S is 4G Compatible

Sébastien Page ∙ October 22, 2011

Oopsy! Someone at A&T didn't get the memo. Yes, the iPhone 4S is all new and fast, but it is not 4G compatible, unlike what AT&T currently advertises on its website.

If you go to this page on AT&T's site, you will get a list of 4G devices. The first one at the top of the list is the iPhone 4S, which we know only supports 3G at this point...

AT&T Activates One Million iPhone 4S Devices

Guest Author ∙ October 20, 2011

The iPhone 4S has been a tremendous success for all three of the US carriers that currently sell the handset. But it seems that AT&T is getting a little more success compared to Apple's other two iPhone 4S partners.

AT&T today announced that it has activated more than one million iPhone 4S devices as of Tuesday, making the iPhone 4S launch the most successful launch in the carrier's history...